Presidents are very human

LAS CRUCES — Presidents are supposed to be larger-than-life individuals, right? They loom above us, at a podium that has their very own seal stuck to the front. They travel around the world — as air flight improved — direct troops in warfare and even hobnob with the biggest celebrities of their day.

Heck, they are celebrities themselves.

Ah, but that is not all.

Presidents Day is a good time to not only remember and honor our leaders past and present, but to also remember that each man — sorry ladies, it has been just men so far — is also very human. Whether it's Barack Obama's fight to stop smoking, Bill Clinton's infidelities or George H.W. Bush's hatred of broccoli, we've had recent examples of the human side of our leaders.

But did you know that Ronald Reagan did stand-up comedy and John Quincy Adams skinny dipped in the Potomac or that Warren Harding lost the White House China in a poker game?

We know they get to pardon turkeys, but apparently presidents have a lot more color in their lives than even that tradition shows.

The huffingtonpost.com recently reported on many odd facts about former presidents and it apparently is true that Adams was known for his early morning dips in the Potomac, always in the nude.

Calvin Coolidge had a morning ritual where he enjoyed having Vaseline rubbed on his head while he ate breakfast in bed and William Howard Taft, who weighed more than 300 pounds, became stuck in one of the White House bathtubs.

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He eventually had an oversize bathtub installed.

Thomas Jefferson was given two bear cubs from the Lewis and Clark expedition and he kept them in a cage on the White House lawn and occasionally went on walks with them.

So, now that we know they all had their human moments, who are our favorites.

Carlos Lucero is a fan of John F. Kennedy.

"He seemed at the moment to bring the whole world together," he said on the Sun-News Facebook page.

Andrea Young is also a JFK fan.

"He tried teaching us no matter race, religion or creed, human rights are exactly that: human rights," she said. "And (I like) President Obama for bringing his dreams to reality."

Mary Mastrantuono said that Ronald Reagan is her favorite "by far."

"He unified this country," she said, "he was patriotic and brought an end to communism."

Veva Abalos reaches back to our country's second president for inspiration.
"

(I like) John Adams because of his view on all matters and his drive to offer the resolution that amounted to our Independence, and his deep love for his wife," she said.

Brook Stockberger may be reached at 575-541-5457; follow him on Twitter @Bstockbeger

A closer look

• John Quincy Adams was known for his early morning dips in D.C.'s main waterway, always in the nude.

• Calvin Coolidge had a mechanical horse installed in the White House so he could practice his riding skills.

• Gerald Ford in the 1940's did a bit of modeling and even posed on the cover of "Cosmopolitan."

• Ronald Reagan's acting career was going so badly in 1954 that he took a gig as a Las Vegas stand-up comic.